THE RIFT WALKER (Vampire Empire, Book Two) by Clay & Susan Griffith
Pyr, 2011, 399 pages, 978-1-61614-523-1, Trade Paperback, $16.00

Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk

Once again, the Vampire Empire has brought me something entertaining to stave off the mediocre-book doldrums. This second book, while it starts off slightly slower than the first (though hardly by much), does exactly what I hoped it would do for the main characters while also illuminating some of the secondary characters and setting the foundation for book three.

Princess Adele returns to Equatoria only to enter a situation arguably more difficult than the one she faced fighting vampires in Britain. Her wedding to Senator Clark looms overhead, and she comes to realize that not only are her reports and opinions being ignored by Clark and the Commons, they’re being ignored by her father as well. Her life is quickly falling out of her control, and she worries about the upcoming war in the north. Meanwhile, in Britain, Cesare is proving to be a remarkable strategist, and his plans to combat the Equatorians and Americans are well under way. He also has plans to target the royal family, and the first target on his list is Princess Adele.

One of the nice things about this book is that we get to see exactly what I’d hoped to see in terms of setting–namely, more of Equatoria. The last book focused largely on Britain, since that was where Adele and Greyfriar were located for the majority of the story. Book two shows us the city of Alexandria, where the royal family is located. It’s a rich city with everything you would expect of a developed civilization plus a secret crypt or two. We see several other locations as well, including the bustling Cairo.

There’s political intrigue to spare. A lot of it comes from the Equatorian side, though the vampires have their own as well. I expect we would see more of that if Gareth could be bothered to get involved, but he has his hands full as it is. This intrigue leads to a surprise (at least it caught me off guard) that I think other readers will appreciate as well. It certainly forced the story to take a different turn.

But if it wasn’t for that turn, I don’t think Adele would have developed so quickly. She really is one of my favorite female characters to date. She struggles a lot with the obstacles around her, but her determination is admirable. She’s not afraid to take risks, and her strength continues to grow with each problem she overcomes. Luckily, there are people around her who recognize and appreciate that strength. Without them, I doubt she’d be able to do what she does.

Obviously, one of those people is the Greyfriar. And you might think, oh, but we know that already. And, yes, it’s clear that he sees power in Adele (and not just of the mystical sort). But even in moments when ordinary men might try to get in her way or stop her from doing what has to be done, he supports her instead. Since they both descend from royal lineages, he no doubt understands the pressures she is facing, and the strength of her determination to help her people, much as he helps the people of Edinburgh.

The other person in Adele’s court is Colonel Anhalt. In book one, I got the impression that I would like Anhalt if I saw more of him, and that definitely turned out to be true. He’s staunchly loyal to Adele, willing to drop everything to aid her, and generally an amazing guy for innumerable reasons. I’m sure other readers will find reason to love him as well.

Add to that the adorable Simon, who’s every bit the brother I wish I’d had, and Adele is surrounded by probably the best cast possible.

As for you, Mamoru, all I can say about your attitude right now is…. For shame, sir. For shame.

Regarding other details of the story, I enjoyed the idea of theatrical productions and penny dreadfuls that over-romanticize the adventures of Adele and the Greyfriar. That they both realize how terrible the books are, and how unfaithful to reality, is all the better. We also see more of Mamoru’s cadre of mystics, and we find out just how widespread the group really is.

For sure, The Rift Walker is a set-up for book three, but it’s also a major character builder on top of being enjoyable overall. It makes even more evident the trouble Greyfriar and Adele will face should many people become aware of his identity. As a reader, I can’t help but wonder how the story could possibly end well given that obstacle–which isn’t to say that I assume book three is meant to have a happy ending. But if it did, how would it come about?

A great addition to the trilogy, and I’m looking forward to the last installment.

—

Thank you to Pyr for providing a review copy of this novel.

~

Tags: clay & susan griffith, fantasy, pyr, steampunk, vampire empire

So, 2011 has come to a close. Other book bloggers out there are posting their “best of” lists at the moment. This is not one of those. This is more of a catch-up than a wrap-up. But my wrap-up will follow reasonably soon.

As the new year approached, I found myself reading a large number of things over the holidays and staring at an equally large pile of books that I hadn’t reviewed due to the major projects that led to my previous hiatus. This all came down to one ultimate decision–I gave myself permission not to review them. As much as I would like to have done so, I realized that it would be more productive to start fresh with my 2012 reads rather than slogging through a backlog of books and attempting to remember everything about them that would be relevant to a review.

So what I’m going to do, instead, is list what I read and provide the most micro of micro reviews. Which basically boils down to whether I liked it or not and why in two to five sentences.

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SUMMER KNIGHT (Dresden Files, book 4) by Jim Butcher
Roc, 2002, 371 pages, 978-0451458926, Mass Market Paperback, $9.99

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Liked it: Yes.

Thoughts: A pretty good installment to the Dresden Files series. Harry’s lack of respect for the Council becomes even more obvious, and the peril he’s in becomes more apparent as well. My favorite aspect of the book, though, is the deepening relationship between Harry and Murphy. She’s a pretty cool lady, I have to say, and she’s quite reasonable, I think, about the fact that she can believe in what Harry does, but, as a person who has always lived with common “reality,” she’s not necessarily good at dealing with it (though I think she does a pretty fine job). I’m really itching to read the next volume, but, alas, it may have to wait.

BLACK BUTLER, vol. 7 by Yana Toboso
Yen Press, 2011, 176 pages, 978-0316189637, Paperback, $11.99

Genre: Manga

Liked it: Yes.

Thoughts: We’re mostly continuing the story, here, but we do get some resolution as far as the current arc. We also get a bit more about how Ciel and Sebastian came to be a pair. Good stuff all around.

NATSUME’S BOOK OF FRIENDS, vol. 9 & 10 by Yuki Midorikawa
Viz Media, 2011, 192 pages, 978-1421538877, Paperback, $9.99
Viz Media, 2011, 192 pages, 978-1421539393 , Paperback, $9.99

Genre: Manga

Liked it: Yes

Thoughts: Volume nine had more “plot” than ten as far as the furthering of Natsume’s character and his run-ins with Matoba. Ten was more a standalone volume with two episodic stories, though the second story did continue to expand Natsume’s relationship with Natori. As usual, Nyanko-sensei is hilarious.

GATE 7, vol. 1 by CLAMP
Dark Horse, 2011, 192 pages, 978-1595828064, Paperback, $10.99

Genre: Manga

Liked it: Definitely yes.

Thoughts: CLAMP has a habit of entertaining and amazing me but ultimately letting me down at the end of a series with their continually depressing and not-at-all-definite endings, assuming they finish a series at all, so I was leery of starting a new title from them. Alas, I’m a fan, so I did. And how happy am I (for now)! I like the characters very much, and their interaction is amusing. This should prove fun, especially since they’re weaving some historical bits into the story. I’m a huge sucker for stories that incorporate Japanese historical figures. I blame all of the Japanese art history I studied. I’m expecting great things from this manga, and I’m hoping CLAMP won’t disappoint.

BLUE EXORCIST, vol. 5 by Kazue Katou
Viz Media, 2011, 200 pages, 978-1421540764, Paperback, $9.99

Genre: Manga

Liked it: Yes.

Thoughts: I’m so glad this storyline is different from the anime. Which is to say, I like the anime but I’m glad I’m not reading the same events in manga form–I’d be bored. This volume takes the ex-wires on a new journey while also dealing with their new fear (or lack of fear) of Rin. It also briefly alludes to Yukio’s current “problem.” Looking forward to the next volume–they’ve got a mystery to solve and a villain to catch. And we’re getting to learn a lot about Bon’s family, which is nice.

GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA, vol. 5 by Kaori Yuki
Viz Media, 2011, 208 pages, Paperback, 978-1421539607, $9.99

Genre: Manga/Gothic

Liked it: More or less.

Thoughts: The final volume of Grand Guignol Orchestra had me massively confused, partly because I was never totally clear on parts of the story to begin with, and partly because it’s been a while since I read volume four. We rather unexpectedly find out that the world of the story comes after the modern world, which shocked me but also explained why they have things like chain saws. The ending is a bit complex, so good luck keeping up. But compared to Kaori Yuki’s other endings, it’s remarkably happy.

KOBATO, vol. 5 by CLAMP
Yen Press, 2011, 144 pages, 978-0316190718, Paperback, $11.99

Genre: Manga/Shoujo

Liked it: Yes.

Thoughts: This manga has been improving since volume three. Finally, some real substance and some explanation as to what has been going on. Things are getting interesting and definitely more complicated. Regarding the big reveal, I did see it coming, mostly because I know how CLAMP works. As for the secondary reveal that has yet to be made . . . I’m holding out to see what happens. Also, Kobato has some guts. Just sayin’.

RUROUNI KENSHIN (series) by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Viz Media, 28-volume series

Genre: Manga

Liked it: Yes.

Thoughts: When people say this manga is better than the anime, they mean it. I mean, it’s not extravagantly different, story-wise, until you reach the end–the real end where they wrap up the business of Kenshin’s past–but there’s a lot more emotion, and the characters have a little more personality. Saitoh, in particular, is much more intense (and amazing) than I remember him from the animation, which is astonishing, because I loved him already. Kaoru was even more obnoxious and weepy. And there’s my one problem–I understand that this manga is written for boys, but I don’t like how the female characters are portrayed as strong but not strong enough to stand beside the men of the series. Eh. Oddly, it was Megumi’s character who turned out to be the best female–she’s emotionally stronger than the rest, which I liked. But, anyway, if you’re a fan of the anime and haven’t read the manga version, I definitely recommend it. That said, I hear they’re doing a new series to finish out the Enishi arc. I hope so.

R.O.D.: READ OR DREAM (series) by Hideyuki Kurata and Ran Ayanaga
Viz Media, 4-volume series

Genre: Manga

Liked it: Eh….

Thoughts: This story had its good points, but overall I was a little bored. It was very episodic up until the end, when we find out how the three “sisters” ended up living together and running an investigations agency. Not my favorite series, but I suppose it was fun to read once.

VARIANT by Robison Wells
HarperTeen, 2011, 384 pages, 978-0062026088, Hardcover, $17.99

Genre: Young Adult

Liked it: Yes, certainly.

Thoughts: This book was a different reading experience than anything else I picked up in 2011. I enjoyed its almost sparse form of narration, and it was reminiscent of Japanese stories with similar concepts. I think that assessment has to do with the fact that it takes place in a school of questionable purpose, there are gangs, and there are <__insert major spoilers__>. The only thing that irked me a bit was the main character. He just seemed too overly intent on being non-conformist. Which isn’t necessarily wrong in this situation, but I’m not sure how far a real person would be willing to take his rebellious streak right off the bat. I imagine they’d work up to it, but the main character jumps into that role feet first. Still, he grew on me. The revelations about the reality of the school were unexpected and pretty cool. I’ll definitely look for the next volume when it comes out.

PRINCE OF THORNS by Mark Lawrence
Ace, 2011, 336 pages, 978-0441020324, Hardcover, $25.95

Genre: Fantasy

Liked: For the most part, yes.

Thoughts: This book was a fun read, but the squeamish should be wary. A lot of other reviewers have said they don’t believe a fourteen-year-old could commit all of the atrocities in the book, or that anyone would respect him enough to follow him. I’m not sure where I stand on that line, myself. Part of me wants to say the same, but if you read to the end and learn more about where Jorg’s rage and determination are really coming from, then I suppose it’s not terribly impossible. I mean, given that this is fantasy and crazy things exist. There were a lot of really surprising revelations about the nature of this world itself. I can’t say I saw that coming. Reconciling it with my preconceptions about “high fantasy” was initially challenging, but, ultimately, I think what Lawrence did was pretty cool. Good concept, very graphic, lots of slaughter, and a character who acknowledges his own changes. If that sounds like your cup of tea then have at it. I’m pretty sure I’ll pick up King of Thorns in August.

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And there you are. A whole pile of micro reviews.

Full reviews of new reads will commence shortly. The first two will likely be The Rift Walker by Clay & Susan Griffith and The Daemon Prism by Carol Berg. After that, I can’t say. I have a rather overwhelming pile of requested reviews in addition to a pretty big stack of books that I, personally, have chosen for reading. I’m not sure what will swim to the top of the pile first.

Ta-ta! And look out for the year-end summary a little later.

~

Tags: black butler, blue exorcist, clamp, gate 7, grand guignol orchestra, harperteen, hideyuki kurata, jim butcher, kaori yuki, kazue katou, kobato, manga, mark lawrence, natsume's book of friends, nobuhiro watsuki, r.o.d., ran ayanaga, read or dream, robison wells, roc, rurouni kenshin, the broken empire, the dresden files, viz media, yana toboso, yen press, young adult, yuki midorikawa

CAPTAIN NEMO by Kevin J. Anderson
Titan Books, 2011, 400 pages, 978-0857683427, Trade Paperback, $12.95

Genre: Adventure Fiction/Historical Fiction

Over the last year or two, I’ve read several books that re-imagined the lives of historical figures. Captain Nemo, however, is the first I’ve read that does so in a largely realistic way (which is to say, it doesn’t involve things like time travel, but it does involve things like dinosaurs. So, you can see I’m using the word “realistic” rather loosely…. Actually, very loosely…), and the first I’ve read that consciously attempts to recreate a particular style of storytelling.

Captain Nemo does this for Jules Verne by creating a world where Nemo–the dark anti-hero of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island–is not just a character, but a childhood friend of Verne’s who becomes the basis for all of his imaginative works.

The character portrayals are what kept me moving through this novel. Each of the main three protagonists–Andre Nemo, Jules Verne, and Caroline Arronax–is so uniquely characterized that it made their interactions interesting and, at times, explosive. Beside which, the dichotomy between Nemo and Verne is what makes the story work. They are two sides of a coin–both drawn to adventure, but one suited to becoming actively involved with it, and the other to merely imagining and describing it.

Caroline, meanwhile, is a thoroughly modern female character, aware of her repressed situation yet determined to undermine social convention. In fact, she uses her position to do just that rather than allowing it to dictate the course of her life. Moreover, she was extremely loyal to what she truly wanted in life rather than being easily susceptible to circumstances or peer pressure. Caroline was quite admirable, and I enjoyed reading about her.

What tested my patience while reading Captain Nemo was the pace of the story. I’m lead to understand that the writing style is an effort to mimic the work of Jules Verne and, as a concept, I find the experiment laudable. As a reader, however, I found the style tedious to follow for the first two-thirds of the novel. It’s simply another example of over-description with very little in-depth exploration of characters or concepts. I’m not interested in a blow-by-blow narration of events. I want something beyond that–something that pulls me into the story and allows me to become invested. This, perhaps, is why the last third of the novel moved much more quickly. By this point, Nemo’s personality is becoming darker, and his motivations have a much more personal bent. With these character elements at the forefront rather than step-by-step action shots, the story shot forward.

For the majority of the novel, the characters don’t remain in contact with one another. They are together at the beginning and at the end, but, through the middle, one or all of them are busy dealing with their own lives. To some degree, I found this frustrating even though I understand the reasons behind it. Still, to have all of the main characters separated, and to spend a lot of the time following Jules Verne, who was only barely likeable at times because of his self-pitying attitude, sometimes made the story feel slower. Then again, it made the moments when the characters met again all the more exciting.

Breaking up the characters also makes it clearer that this story is more a tale of Verne’s journey in life and how Nemo’s experiences affected that. Yet the fun is mostly Nemo’s. There’s definitely plenty of action and derring-do where he’s concerned. The charm of the story, really, is in watching him overcome obstacles and impossible situations. Not everything he does is believable, but that’s entirely the point. He’s a problem-solving genius who happens to be dark and dashing on top of it, and that’s why we want to read about him.

I believe this will certainly be an entertaining novel for those who have read Verne in the past–inside knowledge of the works mentioned throughout the story will no doubt make it more entertaining–or for those who enjoy classic adventure tales.

—

Thank you to Titan Books for providing a review copy of this novel.

~

Tags: adventure fiction, historical fiction, kevin j. anderson, titan books

BLUE EXORCIST, vol 4 by Kazue Kato
Viz Media, 2011, 200 pages, 978-1-4215-4047-4, Paperback, $9.99

Genre: Manga

In this volume of Blue Exorcist, we finally get to see what happens when Rin loses some of his control. We also begin to learn what the repercussions will be now that his secret has been revealed.

I have a feeling, however, that we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg, as it were. So far Rin hasn’t had much interaction with his classmates since the incident in the forest. After the way Bon and the others insisted that they were his friends earlier in the volume, the reader is left with the tension of knowing that things probably won’t go back to the way they were. At least not any time soon. In fact, the entire situation leaves a note of worry behind. After all, Rin is so good-natured–imagining that his friends will abandon him is really rather awful.

Beyond the main plot points involving Rin and, as ever, Mephisto (oh, what is he up to?), the good bits from this volume are between Yukio and Shura. Their rivalry is amusing since, as characters, they’re practically polar opposites. Yet Shura continually manages to surpass Yukio despite her lackadaisical behavior, which, for him, is utterly infuriating.

And, now, to my usual commentary on this series’ art. Have I mentioned yet that I love how Kato gives his women just a little bit of squish?

GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA, vol. 4 by Kaori Yuki
Viz Media, 2011, 208 pages, 978-1-4215-3872-3, Paperback, $9.99

Genre: Manga/Gothic

Volume four of Grand Guignol Orchestra answers several questions about the story’s events and the characters’ motivations. Compared to volume three, the pace is much is better, and the substance is deeper.

What I like is finally understanding Lucille a little better. I don’t feel that we’re completely privy to his every thought, but his character does become more transparent. We also learn more about Kohaku, which was unexpected, but considering that all of the other characters have had their stories play out, I was happy that he didn’t get left out. On the other hand, the bits of his background that we’re given aren’t nearly as extensive as the revelations about Gwindel. Then again, his situation was far more straightforward, and far less creepy.

In addition to the truth behind Le Senat, we also get a little more background on Berthier. Even though he’s completely insane, I can’t help but feel sorry for him. The same is true of the queen. The more we learn about her, the more I feel that this entire series is based on the idea that “life isn’t fair.” But, of course, this is Kaori Yuki we’re talking about.

The next volume will be the last, so I presume we’ll be able to see Lucille face off with the queen. But considering how volume four ends, I suspect it won’t be as straightforward as all that.

~

Tags: blue exorcist, gothic, grand guignol orchestra, kaori yuki, kazue kato, manga, viz media